When you think of dimensions, you start with the three Ds: Width, height, depth. Painter, illustrator and muralist Jahna Rae is an artist who tries to convey what she calls “a unique, 5D experience on a 2D surface.”

Enter the Fifth Dimension — a world of bold, bright colors, patterns and sharp contrast.

“I think of 5D as more of an emotional or spiritual experience, and that I put it onto a flat surface as best I can,” Rae said. “I like to capture stories, events and emotions that I leave up to my audience to interpret without much explanation.”

The emotional quality of her pieces, she said, “gives them an inherent narrative that unfolds throughout the painting process.”

She added: “As I create, I weave together inspiration from poetry, music, spirituality and the stories my community has been vulnerable enough to share with me.”

Rae graduated in 2017 with a degree in illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco before moving to Denver, where she has completed more than a dozen murals around the city. Her next one, a project for Street Wise Arts in Boulder, will be unveiled in late September or early October at KGNU Radio’s Boulder location, 4700 Walnut St.

Rae has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, four solo shows and completed a two-month residency through PlatteForum, which connects young BIPOC artists with the resources they need to reach their full potential, while also addressing the social issues that matter most to them and their communities.

Currently, Rae has a residency through Denver’s Arts District on Santa Fe. That will culminate with an exhibition opening from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 3 at her studio, 858 Santa Fe Drive. That’s a First Friday, and she promises November’s party will be one to remember.

“Dia de los Muertos is always such a fun celebration,” she said.

Rae’s tools include a variety of mediums, including oil, acrylic, aerosol and ink. But her ultimate goal is to bring viewers together and shed light on how people understand themselves in relation to one another.

“I create to explore my spirituality and the impact of human interconnectedness on the journey toward healing and understanding,” she said.

Editor’s note: For our 2023 fall arts preview, the Denver Gazette is profiling emerging artists who are introducing new ideas, voices, skills and approaches that are changing the ways audiences are experiencing and engaging with the arts. Look for the eighth installment in our series Monday.

Meet the Artist: Jahna Rae

• Hometown: Broadalbin, N.Y.

• Home now: Denver

• What is your genre? Mixed-media portrait painting and murals

• What are you going for as an artist? “I believe art is a beautiful way to connect with other individuals as we each take something different from it, which provides a unique perspective that we otherwise might not have had.”

• How are you shaking things up? “Diversity in my art has always been an important factor in part of the message I’m trying to convey. Bringing diverse portraits to a predominantly White population strikes conversation. It gets people thinking and connecting in new ways.”

• What is the change you would like to see in our cultural ecology? “Public art has many benefits to communities, so I’d like to see bigger investments in the arts. Public art improves the overall well-being of communities and supports the local economy and artists.”

• Your web site: jahnarae.com

• Shout out another local artist: “Kaylee Bender focuses on portraiture as a way to connect to the people around her and surrealism to express her intentions and dreams.” Follow Bender on Instagram at @nokaylee.